Cutting kachine



c. E. CONNER. .CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I3 I918.

Patented May 16,1922.

2 sums-sum 2.'

UNITED STATES PA'IZELNT ilif f 'ltl CHARLES E. CONNER, Ol AUBURN, MAINE, ASS-IGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 19.22.

Application filed September 13, 1918. Serial No. 253,901.

T 0 all 10150772 it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnins E. CoNNEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain Improvements in Cutting Machines, of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings is a specifier.- tion, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for performing cutting operations upon boots and shoes and is herein shown, by way of illustration, as embodied in a. machine for breasting heels. It is to be understood, however, that the invention, in its broader as pects, is adapted for employment in other machines for effecting cutting or trimming operations upon other parts of boots and shoes.

A general object of the invention is to i provide means for effecting a change in the contour of the surface formed by a cutting knife during the operation of the knife.

A feature of the invention consists in a novel organization including a knife con structed and arranged. to perform a cutting operation upon a shoe part with means for effecting a change of contour of the cutting edge ofthe knife during its cutting action. The knife may be a flexible knife and. means may be provided to flex the knife during its cutting action. The flexing means may include resiliency of the knife itself and means to control the shape which the knife is allowed to assume while performing the cutting operation. In the construction shown herein, a flexible knife is provided and means acting upon the side edges of the knife is employed to control the contour of the knife. The knife may, as shown, he a resilient knife of predetermined contour and means controlled b-y a cam during the operation of the knife may be employed to cause a change of contour of the knife to be effected. in the embodiment of the invention herein shown, the organization includes a shoe rest or support and flexible knife constructed and arranged for relative movement to cause the knife to act upon the shoe with means for flexing the knife during said relative movement to effect change in the contour of the part of the knife which acts upon the shoe. More specifically the knife is a resilient curved breasting knife and means including a suitable cam is pro vided to apply more or less pressure to the knife adjacent to the end of its cutting edge to control the shape of the knife and to cause that shape to be varied during the cutting action of the knife upon a heel.

This invention is of special utility when embodied in a machine for breasting ogee heels. Heels of this type are laterally narrow at the tread face and relatively wide at the heel seat portion where they engage theshanks. The sides of the heels between the tread and the heel seat have a double or ogee curvature which gives the breast face of thehcel a constricted formation between the tread and the heel seat which is narrower than the breast portion adjacent to the tread face. When heels of this shape are breasted by meansof the usual gouge-shaped knife, the edges of the heel breast, when viewed from the side, are not straight but curve rearwardly giving the heel breast a longitudinal concavity. It is desirable to form on heels of this type a breast face which is laterally concaved and the edges of which, when viewed from the side, will have a straight appearance, that is, will lie in a plane extending transversely of the heel. Another object of this invention isto pro vide means by which an ogce heel may be given this desired shape.

A further feature of the invention consists in an organization having a support for the shoe, a laterally curved breasting knife, and means; for bringing the successive portions of the knife edge which cut the side edges of the breast into the same plane as the cut progresses heightwise of the heel. Since the type of heel here considered is narrow at the tread face and narrower still below the tread face and broad adjacent to the shoe shank when a heel of this type breasted by a rigid, curved, gougeshaped knife, the portions of the knife which cut the side edges of the heel are at first spaced apart the width of the top lift. As the cutting PIOQIGSSGS'lJOWHlCl the narrow part of the heel, the cutting portions .will be nearer together and farther to the rear of the heel and, as the cut progresses beyond the narrow part of the breast, the cutting edges will extend farther toward the sides of the knife and hence farther toward the toe of the shoe. One method of bringof the cut should have a less curvature than.

at the'beginning. The rate of change of curvature, as the cut progresses, should be controlled in accordance with the lateral curvature of the side of the heel. In the construction shownherein for bringing the portions of the knife which cut the side edges of the heel into a plane, a cam is provided which is designed in accordance with the lateral curvature of the side of the heel, and the cam, through suitable mechanism, applies more or less pressure to the side portions of the knife during its cutting operationto cause the curvature ofthe knife to be changed andto bring the portions of the knife Which-act on the side/edges of the heel breast :into a plane, which plane is substantially perpendicular to the shoe shank or at an angle thereto suchas will-give the heel theproper pitch, the'termpitcl1'referring to the angle which the plane of the heel breast makes with the shoe shank, which angle is usually acute.

It is desirable to provide mechanism for arresting the action of the'knife when the shankof the shoe is reached.

These and other features will appear more fully from the following detailed description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the upper portion of the machine, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are'di-agrammatic views respectively of the side, tread face and breast of a heel, the views illustrating the operation of the knife upon the heel breast.

Referring to Fig. l-of the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates the frame of the machine in which a knife slide 4 is mounted for vertical reciprocation. The slide 4 has a lateral projection 6 in which a knife carrying plate 8 is clamped by means of a block 10 having screws 12 threaded through it andengaging the plate 8 to force it against the projection Gwhichhas flanges 14 which support the front face of the block 10 near its lateral ends and take'the forward thrust of therblockwhen the screws 12 are tighten ed. An overhanging portion 16 of the face of the shoe heel.

projection 6 carries screws 18 arranged to take the end thrust of the plate 8 and to serve as means for adjustingthe plate vertically.

The knife slide 4 is operated by an actuating slide 5 which is driven by a connecting rodQO pivoted to theslide 5 and connected to a crank 22 on a shaft 24 which is driven "through a clutch connection with a driving wheel 26. The clutch which is shown is of usual construction in machines of this type and is operated by the pressure upon a treadle 28 causing the crank 22 to be driven a single revolution and stopped.

Between the knife slide 4; and the actuating shde 5 is a driving connectionwhich is released by contact of a foot 30 with the shank of the shoe when the cut of the knife is completed. The foot 30 is carried by a lever 32 mounted on the knife slide, movement of which is arrested by the shoe when the :foot 30 engages the shank and causes the connection between the slide 4 and the slide 5 to be released during the remainder of the movement of the slide 5 which, uponits return movement, takes up the slide 4 and causes the connection between it and the slide 4 to here-established. One form of stop mechanism for this purpose is disclosed in United States Letters-Patent No. 1,169,201, granted January 25, 1916, upon an application of .zlalph Simmons.

The work support is of a usual construction comprising a post 40 pivoted at 42 to swing toward and from the machine. 'Telescoping in the post 40 is a rod. 44 carrying a heel pin 46 and a toe rest 48. Therod and shoe supporting devices 46. 48 may be adjusted vertically by a hand wheel 50 threaded to the rod 44 and resting on the top of the post 40.

A rod 52 is connected yieldingly through a spring 54 to a lever 56 which is. connected by a link 58 to a slide v59 which carries a tread plate 60 arranged to engage the tread The rod 52, at its lower end, pivoted to the treadle lever so that upon depression of the treadleQS the tread plate 60 will be pressed yieldingly against the tread face of the shoe heel and will yieldingly hold the heel while it is being positioned relatively to the front edge of the plate 60 which serves as a gage to indicate wherefthe cut of the breasting knife will be made. -Further depression of the treadle operates to trip the clutch and start the machine.

A flexible knife is fastened at its central portion by screws 72 to a downward projection 74 of the plate8. On the projection 74 is formed a long bearing 75 for a rock shaft 76 upon each end of which is fixed a inemberTS arranged, to bear on a side margin of the knife. Fixed to the inner end oft-he shaft '76 is an arnrSO which extends knife or reduce its curvature.

upwardly and carries a roll 82 which lies in a cam groove 84: formed in a plate 86. The plate 86 has a rib 88 on its rear face which engages a corresponding groove in the frame 2 and the plate is held in place by screws 90 which pass through slots 92 in the plate and are threaded into the frame 2. By loosening the screws 90 the plate 86 can be adjusted vertically and when the screws are tightened is firmly held in place.

In the operation of the machine, a shoe is placed on the support and swung into the machine to position the tread face of the heel under the tread plate 60. The treadle is then partially depressed to bring the tread plate yieldingly against the heel. The breast edge of the top lift is then positioned relatively to the front edge of the plate so that the proper amount of material will be removed from the heel breast by the knife when it descends. The treadle is next farther depressed to start the machine and the knife begins to operate. During the descent of the knife the roll 82 is acted upon by the cam slot 84 in the plate 86 to cause the arm 80 carrying the roll 82 to be swung in and out and to cause the members 78, 78 to press more or less against the side margins of the knife and vary its curvature. As shown herein, the knife is resilient and is given initially a curvature which is at least the maximum curvature required and the pressure of the members 78, 78 upon the margins of the knife is in a sense to straighten the Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the plane in which the side edges of the heel are to lie is represented by the line P-P (Fig. In Fig. 5, which view of a heel looking toward the breast, it will be noted when. the knife begins its cut, the portions of the knife engaging the side edges of the heel will be at the points a, a. As the cut continues through the distance X the cutting points or portions will approach each other to the points 6, Z) at the narrowest part of the heel breast. As the cut continues through the distance Y, the cutting points will separate to the positions 0, c. The operation of the cam slot 84 upon the knife through the mechanism described brings these shifting cutting points into the plane P-P (Fig. 3). To effect this. the curvature of the knife is changed as indicated in F l. As the knife starts to cut the top lift. it has the curvature indicated by the line E--E. As the knife moves through the distance X (Fig. 5), the cutting points are approaching each other and the curvature of the knife is caused to increase by the cam which releases the pressure of the members 78, 78 upon the margins of the knife, the knife finally assuming at the narrowest part of the heel the shape indicated at the line FF. From this point on the work the knife moves through the distance Y, during which the cutting points are separating. Therefore, the shape of the knife is changed back to its original curvature and beyond until, when the shank is reached, it has the shape indicated by the line GG (Fig. t). It will be understood, of course, that the change of curvature of the knife takes place progressively and at a rate corresponding to the lateral curvature of the side of the heel, the cam being preferably specially designed with respect to the lateral curvatures of the heel being treated to bring the portions of the knife which successively operate to cut the side edges of the knife always into the plane P-P.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lmife for effecting a cutting operation upon the breast of a shoe heel, and means for varying the shape of the cutting edge of the knife during its cutting action.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife for effecting a cutting operation upon the breast of a shoe heel, andmeans for automatically varying 'the shape of the cutting edge of the knife during its cutting action.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife having a normally curved contour, means for moving the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the breast of a shoe heel, and means for effecting a change of contour of the knife during the cutting movement of the knife.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife having an integral flexible cutting portion, a shoe support for holding a shoe for the operation of the knife, means for moving relatively the knife and shoe support for effecting a cutting operation of the knife upon the shoe, and means for bending the cutting portion of the knife to vary the contour of the cutting edge of the knife to an extent predetermined independently of the shoe during said relative movement of the knife and shoe support and cause the curvature of the surface cut to vary at different parts thereof.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a flexible knife having a normally curved cutting edge. a support for holding a shoe with its heel in position for its breast to be acted upon by the knife when the knife and shoe support are moved relatively, and means for diminishing the curvature of the cutting edge of the knife during its cutting action upon the heel breast.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife having a flexible cu ting portion, a support for holding a shoe with its heel in position to be breasted by the knife, means for ofl'ectingrelative move ment of the supportand knife to cause the heelto be breasted, and means for flexing thefknife during its cutting action.

7. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a knife having an edge of curved contour to form a concaved surface on one portion of the breast of a heel during the initial portion of its cutting action, and means for causing the knife to form a surface of different curvature on another portion of the'breast during a later portion of its cutting action.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a transversely curved knife acting in the direction of the height of a heel, and means for causing variation in the transverse curvature of the .knife during the actionof the knife to cause the heel to be breasted with a varying transverse curvature.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a transversely curved knife acting in the direction of the height of. a heel, and means fo bendingthe knife and allowing theknife to straighten during the action of the knifeto cause the heel to be breasted with a varying curvature.

10. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of a knife actingin the direction of the height of a heel, and means actingon the knife during its cutting operation to cause theheel breast to be formed with a varying curvature.

11. In a machine ofthe class described, the combination of a flexible knife acting in the direction of the height of, a heel, and means for giving the; knife an initial transverse curvature at the beginning of its out,

increasing the curvature of the knife during the cut and restoring the normal curvature to the knife before the cut is finished.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a resilient knife acting .45 in thedirection of the-height of a heel and having a transverse curvature, and means acting to flex the knife edge during a portion of the cutting operation and to allow the knife to assume its initial curvature during anotherportion of its cutting operation.

13. In a machine forbreasting heels having breasts which are narrowest between the top lift and the shank and having sides of different curvatures, a shoe support, a

curved breasting knife adapted to form a breast which is laterally concaved, and

means for causing the portions of the knife whichcut the side edges of the'heel to act in a plane during the cutting action of the knife.

14. In a machine for breasting heels having breasts which are narrowest between thetop lift and the shank and having sides of varying curvatures, a shoe support, a

455i curved breasting knife adapted to form a breast *which is laterally concaved, -and means for-relatively moving theheel and knife to'cause the portions ofthe knife which are cutting the side edges of the breast to actin a plane.

15. In amachine for breasting 'ogee heels, ai'heel support, a resilient curved knife, and means for holding the knifepartially straightened during the initial portion of its cutting action upon aiheel, said means allowing the knife to increase in curvature while it approaches the narrowest portion of the heel and acting thereafter to straighten the knife toward its initialshape at a later portion of the out.

16. In a machine for breasting ogee heels, a heel support, a flexible knife,'means for actuating the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the heel, and means to cause the knife to be bent during one portion of its out and to be straightened during another portion of its cut.

17. In a machine for breasting ogee heels, a heel support, a flexible knife, means for actuating the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the heel, and means to cause the knife to be flexed during one portion of its cut and to be straightened during another portion of its out. i

18. In a machinefor breasting ogee heels, a heel support, aflexible knife having an initial curvature, means for actuating the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the heel, and means to cause the curve of the knife to be increased during one portion of its cut and to be diminished during another portion of its out, the final curvature being less than the initial curvature.

19. In a machine for breasting ogee heels, the combination of a resilient curved knife having anorinal curvature as great 'as'that required for any part of its out, and means for holding the knife partially straightened during the initial part of the out on the heel, said means being constructed and arranged to allow the curvature of the knife to increase and then causing it to diminish during its cutting action.

20. In a machine for breasting ogee heels, the combination of a resilient curved knife having a normal curvature as great as that required for any part of its out, and means forholding the knife partially straightened during the initial part'of the cut on the heel, said means being constructed and arranged to allow the curvature of the knife progressively to increase during its cutting action. I

21. In a machine for breasting ogee heels, the combination of a resilient curved breasting knife having a normal curvature 1 as great as that required for any part of the heel breast, and means for holding the knife partially straightened during the initial part of the cut on the heel breast, said means being constructed and arranged to cause the curvature of the knife to diminish during its cutting action.

22. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife, means for op erating the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the breast of the heel of a shoe, and means for varying the shape of the cutting edge of the knife during the cutting operation.

23. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife, means for operating the knife to effect a cutting operation upon the breast of the heel of a shoe, and means for automatically varying the shape of the cutting edge of the knife during its cutting action.

24-. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife having a flexible cutting portion, a shoe support for holding a shoe for the operation of the knife upon the heel breast, means for moving relatively the knife and shoe support for effecting a cutting operation of the knife upon the shoe heel to form a surface of one contour, and means for relatively moving the support and knife in another direction to cause a surface contour to be formed upon another portion of the heel differing from that formed during said first relative movement of the knife and shoe support.

25. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a breasting knife having a flexible cutting portion, a support for holding a shoe heel in position to be breasted by the knife, means for eflecting relative movement of the support and knife to cause the shoe to be acted upon by the knife, and means for flexing the knife during its cutting action upon the heel breast.

26. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of a knife havingan edge of curved contour to form a concaved surface on the work presented to the knife during the initial portion of its cutting action, and means for causing the knife to form a surface of different curvature on another por tion of the work during a later portion of its cutting action.

27. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of a resilient knife, and

means for bending the knife and allowing the knife to straighten during the action of the knife to cause the work to be formed with a surface of varying curvature.

29. In a machine for breasting heels having curved sides, the combination of a knife, a heel support and means for relatively moving the knife and support to effect a cutting operation and to cause the heel to be formed with a surface of varying contour the side edges of which lie in a plane.

30. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a flexible knife, and means for giving the knife an initial transverse curvature at the beginning of its out, increasing the curvature of the knife during the cut and restoring the normal curvature to the knife before the cut is finished.

31. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a resilient knife having a curvature, and means acting to flex the knife edge during a portion of the cutting operation and to allow the knife to assume its initial curvature during another portion of its cutting operation.

32. In a machine for breasting heels having breasts which are narrowest between the top lift and the shank and having sides of varying curvatures, a shoe support, a curved breasting knife adapted to form a breast which is laterally concaved, and means for relatively moving the heel and knife to cause the portions of the knife which are cutting the side edges of the breast to traverse a path different from. the path of the central portion of the knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

-CHARLES E. GONNER. 

